Monday June 9 to Wednesday June 11...You get Schnauzers

It is a known fact that when you think you have your proverbial act together, you really do not.  I am living proof of that.  Last week was fantastic.  I was sharp, focused, organized...I had those ducks in a row, and they were marching along to some really great Ting Tings song. (Why them?  Because they're upbeat and awesome, natch).  Then the weekend came, and it all just crashed and burned.  No reason why.  No advance warning.  But there I was, trudging through the weekend with absolutely no plan, and no motivation.  It does make me wonder...do I only get one week of efficient productivity for every three or four completely sloppy and chaotic ones?
By now I'm sure you have surmised what an effect this had on the meals I had to prepare this week.

Monday, June 9...Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
I needed this for Monday evening, and yet I was just getting around to shopping for the ingredients that afternoon.  Do you see the name of this dish?  Did you notice that the first word is broccoli?  When I returned from Shaw's, that is the single item that I did not purchase.  And no, I did not have any other vegetables to substitute for that main ingredient.  So, back to the store I went.  Time was squeezing me in an uncomfortable hug.  I got the meal made just in time, and delivered it still warm from the oven (well, nothing wrong with that.)
Here is the site with the recipe.  I did not take any pix of my version as I was lucky to even get the damn thing made...
http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/05/broccoli-quinoa-casserole/
You will notice that this isn't a vegetarian dish, but I made it veg by substituting the chicken with tempeh.  I sliced it, sautéed it in olive oil until brown, and then seasoned it with ground sea salt and ground pepper.  So good just on it's own!  This dish really is damn delicious.

Tuesday, June 10...Spinach and Mushroom Calzones
Now all of a sudden it's Tuesday, and I'm scrambling to get things done...and realize that I have another meal to prepare by the evening.  This is going to have to be quick and easy.  I'm not proud of it, but I really cheated on this one.  I used Pillsbury Pizza Crust (Yes, the kind in the tube.  Yes, the kind that I'm sure is full of trans fats and toxic plastics, and god knows what else...but I had it in my fridge (why?) and I was pressed for time, so judge not).  I thawed some homemade marinara I had in the freezer (does that help balance out the Pillsbury?), used pre-sliced mushrooms, fresh spinach (organic...more points for me, right?), and fresh mozzarella.  It turned out just fine, despite the slap-dash nature of the preparation.  Again, no pix, as I was really flying by the seat of my pants here.  And no recipe, as I simply threw this thing together as noted above.

Wednesday, June 11...Curried Potatoes and Chickpeas
In keeping with my complete and utter lack of any kind of foresight and disorganization, it is now Wednesday and I've got nothing.  I had worked at the library the night before, and found this recipe that sounded interesting.  Why I thought this was a good idea, I do not know...way too much prep, and utterly unappealing-looking.
This is the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/curried-potatoes-and-chickpeas.html
It took forever, it turned out to be this silly-putty colored mush, and I was terribly embarrassed to be offering this as a meal.  However, it was closing in on delivery time, so it was going to have to do.  As a last ditch effort to "save" this dish, I quickly sautéed some frozen felafel balls I had in the freezer and threw them on top of the mess.  My daughter took one look at it and laughed.  And then gave me a funny look as she walked away.
I really wish I had taken a picture of it.  It was just that horrible.  I would have enjoyed the reactions to that abomination.  But I just didn't have it together to snap one.  Damn it.  I will tell you this:  it looked nothing like the picture on the recipe's website.

The irony about Day 4 (I usually prepare four meals each week), is that when I showed up Thursday AM to take care of the pups, Rick had left me a note that he didn't need a meal for that evening.  And I had actually made one the night before!  I had prepared it ahead of time!  I was getting my rhythm back!  I was thinking clearly!  Fortunately, it was a fantastic vegetable and tofu fried rice dish (that I basically just threw together in the wok).  Both Clio and I thoroughly enjoyed it for the next two nights, so at least there's that.

I will end this debacle of a week with some pix of the pups I take care of, since I have no food to show.
I give you Tadd and Lucy...

PS:  If you haven't heard of the Ting Tings, click on their name and give them a listen...